Another Take (A Naruto Fanfiction) (Complete)

Ch. 9: Chasing Cars

~Let's waste time, chasing cars around our heads~

Kiyomi's POV

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had left by now, but Kakashi had asked me to stay behind. I remained sitting on top of the pole, watching Kakashi-sensei sit before the KIA stone.

When he finally turned away, he asked a question. "How do you know of the KIA stone?" he asked curiously. Wonder why he cared?

'Because not many of your generation have experienced a loss that may have needed to be put on the stone,' Fenrir said, swishing his tail. 'There are a few, but the majority haven't'

I mentally nodded to the wolf, then answered Kakashi. "My brother is on this stone, which you should know. My guardian told me the purpose of this stone the day after his funeral." There was no emotion in my voice as I spoke of my dead brother. It was yet another thing in my past I didn't like people prying into.

"Hmm..." Kakashi mumbled. "You know that the rest of his- my- team is also on the stone?"

I nodded, then shrugged. Hachi had told me, but I hadn't cared, not having actually met my brother's team.

"Okay. Just one more thing, and you can head home," Kakashi-sensei promised. "Please stop spacing out when I'm talking. What I have to say is important."

That made me crack a smirk. "Sometimes there's things I can do about it, sometimes Fen just comes and starts talking to me. Not my choice," I explained.

Kakashi looked disturbed at the thought of Fenrir making me lose focus. "Are you sure you don't want me to properly seal him?" he offered worriedly.

Fenrir snarled in my mind, making me wince. 'Why you... Unintelligent old man!' the wolf roared angrily. 'You know nothing!'

"Please stop saying that," I practically begged Kakashi-sensei. "He really doesn't like you implying that he's going to hurt me! And Fen would never."

Kakashi-sensei still looked a little disturbed, but dropped the subject. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. Are you going to tell the rest of the team?"

"No," I answered shortly. "I gave you my reasoning for that, and I haven't changed my mind in the day it's been since you last asked."

"Fine, fine," Kakashi said, putting his hands up in surrender. "But they'll eventually start asking questions."

"I know," I replied. "And I'll deal with that when it happens."

I stood up, ending the conversation there. "I'll see you later, Kakashi-sensei," I said, beginning to walk away. The sky was turning oranger, meaning that I should start getting home. Wow, I'd been here for a while.

"Don't forget about the mission tomorrow!" Kakashi yelled after me. I raised a hand in a backwards wave, showing that I'd heard him.

As I strolled through the town, I realized that I was a ninja now. An actual, honest-to-Kami ninja.

'You just now realized this?' Fenrir grumbled, still irked from his rant at Kakashi. Not like the masked ninja could hear him, but it must have given Fen some satisfaction to get that off his chest.

'Well, yeah,' I replied, trying not to get drawn into my head and end up bumping into random objects and people. That would not end well. 'I wasn't sure if I'd be one to actually pass the test, and become an official Genin. But I did!'

'You sure did,' Fenrir complimented. 'And with minimal help from me!'

'Yep!' I replied, just as cheerfully as the wolf. 'Now I just need to get a better handle on the transforming thing!'